Jacquelyn E. Miller

I am a lawyer and the founder of Artemis Advocacy, a practice focused on strategic legal counsel at the intersection of governance, rights, and institutional decision-making. I am a settler of northwestern European descent based in the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm Nations. My work supports Indigenous governing authorities, organizations, and individuals, as well as values-led organizations navigating complex legal and regulatory environments.

My practice is grounded in a relational approach to law, recognizing that legal work is shaped by relationships between people, institutions, legal orders, and place. I focus on matters involving governance, public authority, Indigenous rights and responsibilities, institutional decision-making, and the practical exercise of jurisdiction. I have experience across Aboriginal law and administrative law, including Indigenous governance and legal orders, Indigenous rights and title matters, drafting pleadings and governance documents, consultation and accommodation processes, and the negotiation and implementation of agreements. My work also draws on a strong foundation in administrative and regulatory law across a wide range of decision-making contexts.

Before being called to the bar in 2023, I spent many years working with and for Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as in government, research, governance advisory, and intergovernmental relations roles. This experience continues to inform my approach to legal practice, allowing me to navigate complex, multi-party environments with care, judgment, and a clear understanding of both legal and practical realities. I hold a Juris Doctor and Juris Indigenarum Doctor from the University of Victoria, a dual degree in Canadian common law and Indigenous legal orders, and have also taught in that program.

I am a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Treasurer and a member of the Governance Committee of the Victoria Bar Association, the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association-BC Women Lawyers Forum Vancouver Island Section, and a member of the Canadian Bar Association-BC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. I have also served in numerous other board and committee roles, primarily in executive leadership capacities.

In my work with macushlaw, I primarily support the firm’s Indigenous and Aboriginal law practice, while also assisting in other areas of overlapping experience and shared priority, bringing strategic insight, strong advocacy, and a collaborative approach to advancing macushlaw’s client outcomes.

Alongside my legal practice, board, and community work, I actively research and write on Indigenous–settler relations, legal histories, Indigenous governance, and the structures that shape power and possibility.